◆ Pacific League League: Lotte vs. Seibu Lions (27th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)
Lotte's second-round draft pick, pitcher Kaito Kaito Mori (Meiji University), spoke about the reaction he's received the day after his first professional win.
The left-handed pitcher, who started the opening game against Seibu Lions on the 27th (at ZOZO Marine Stadium) and pitched brilliantly, allowing only four hit and no runs in five innings, earned his first professional win. "I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I did sleep, but my brain felt like it was still awake," he said, his excitement not having subsided even after a night's sleep. "I got about 150 messages on LINE alone, and about 200 in total," he said, receiving many congratulatory messages, and he smiled, saying, "I have to start replying to them now."
![[Photo] A popular child actor throws the opening pitch - a southpaw!](https://hochi.news/assets/v2/img/hochi_news_sns.png)
![[Lotte] If second-round draft pick Kaito Mori pitches five runs innings and pitcher the win, it will be the first time in 76 years that a rookie has earned the opening day win for the team.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/03/27/20260327-OHT1I51616-L.jpg)
![[Seibu Lions] Draft pick #1 Taiga Kojima gets his first hit in his first professional hit against Lotte's Mori, a former classmate from Meiji University. The day before, he said, "I want to get a hit soon."](https://hochi.news/images/2026/03/27/20260327-OHT1I51567-L.jpg)
![[Seibu Lions] Draft pick #1 Taiga Kojima and opposing starting pitcher Kaito Mori classmate battery," will face off.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/03/27/20260327-OHT1I51459-L.jpg)
![[Lotte] Actor Yuki Morinaga throws a no-bounce pitch at the opening ceremony: "I was incredibly nervous!"](https://hochi.news/images/2026/03/27/20260327-OHT1I51501-L.jpg)
